Mixed fortunes for Railway in finals
There were mixed fortunes for the Railway Club in the pairs events in the Newark and District Double Board Darts League.
In the men’s event the reigning champions Paul Gallacher and Mick Francis of the Railway Club 45s retained their title after a 3-0 victory in the final over brothers Tim and Phil Tranter of Balderton Cricket Club.
The Railway pair dropped just one leg during the whole competition and that came in their second round clash with Frank Barlow and Jonathan Handley of the Castle and Falcon Marauders.
Their opponents had taken the opening leg and appeared to be heading for victory after leaving themselves on a double in the next while the reigning champions were back on 110, but Francis had other ideas and produced a brilliant checkout with 20, bullseye and double top to level the tie before completing the comeback by taking the decider.
In the semi-final they saw off the challenge of Mark Neal and Mark Jackson of Staythorpe Club, while their opponents in the final overcame the 2004 champions Steve Radforth and Simon Cobb of the Castle and Falcon Arrows in their semi-final clash.
The opening leg of the final saw a comfortable win for the holders who were making a third consecutive appearance, with Francis checking out on 42.
It appeared that the Balderton pair would level the match after they outscored their opponents in the next leg, but several missed doubles proved costly.
The holders came back to take the second, with Gallacher finishing on 39 after Francis again attempted an 110 checkout only for a wayward final dart at double top after again successfully hitting 20 and the bullseye.
The third and ultimately final leg saw Gallacher complete the match with a 54 finish after he and Francis upped their game and ran out resounding 3-0 winners to retain their crown.
In the ladies’ event it was the pairing of Jackie Dennis and Jane Hartley of Cafferatas Balderton Working Men’s Club who took the title after a 3-1 victory against sisters Leanne and Katie Meadows of Railway Club A.
The Railway A pairing dropped just one leg on their way to the final and that was in their opening match against fellow team-mates Lynn Meadows and Tracey Ashley.
Their place in the final was clinched with a victory over Brenda Zemontas and Brenda Mayling of the Horse and Gears Boozers, while the Cafferatas pair edged out the reigning champions Mandy and Debbie Walker of White Swan Ladies with a 2-1 scoreline.
The Cafferatas pair, who were runners-up in 2005, took a closely fought opening leg when Hartley checked out on double eight.
They also took the second, this time with Dennis sinking double one, after the Railway pair again crucially missed several chances to level the match.
Leanne Meadows kept the sisters in the tie after finishing on double eight in the third leg, but chances came and went for both pairs in the fourth leg before Hartley kept her nerve to sink double two to clinch the match and take the title.
In the Men’s Division Railway A pulled of a surprise 3-2 victory over the Castle and Falcon Arrows while Plough Coddington suffered a second successive defeat when they were on the receiving end of a shock 5-0 defeat by Balderton Cricket Club.
But the cricketers were stumped in their next match when they suffered a whitewash at the hands of third-placed Castle and Falcon Marauders while the second-placed Horse and Gears Oxo Club inflicted the same scoreline on Rose and Crown from Farndon.
Latest results, Men’s Division: Plough Inn (Coddington) 0, Balderton Cricket Club 5; Castle and Falcon Marauders 5, Balderton Cricket Club 0; Castle and Falcon Arrows 2, Railway Club A 3; Newcastle Arms 2, Ferry Masters (Muskham) 3; Horse and Gears Oxo Club 5, Rose and Crown (Farndon) 0.
Ladies’ John Browne Subsidiary Cup Quarter-final: White Swan Ladies 0, Kelly’s Angels 3.
